Programme Specification for the 2024/5 academic year
BA (Hons) Comparative Literatures and Cultures
1. Programme Details
| Programme name | BA (Hons) Comparative Literatures and Cultures | Programme code | UFA3SMLSML21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study mode(s) | Full Time |
Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Campus(es) | Streatham (Exeter) |
NQF Level of the Final Award | 6 (Honours) |
2. Description of the Programme
Comparative Literatures and Cultures at Exeter is unique for its breadth, introducing you to literature, film and art from around the world, from the ancient to the contemporary. You will be taught by world-leading scholars with expertise in literature and culture from the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. You will develop the key intercultural understanding and communication skills necessary to be a global citizen. You will study texts and films in English translation and develop your translation literacy, understanding the cultural, political, social and economic forces that shape how material travels from one language and context to another. The programme offers a comparative lens on pressing issues such as migration, the environment and gender and sexuality. There is a strong decolonial focus to the course, both in terms of theory and its commitment to considering literature beyond the Western canon, unlike traditional comparative literature courses.
This programme will prepare you for a range of careers around the world. It includes a compulsory element of either an employability module (e.g. Humanities in the Workplace) or a module preparing you for MA study. You have the option to study abroad and to study a language from one of the 14 on offer across the Faculty, from British Sign Language to Syriac, from Spanish to Mandarin.
As a student on this programme, you will be part of a vibrant research community, home to the Centre for Translating Cultures, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, the Global China Research Centre, Exeter Centre for Latin America, the Centre for Classical Reception, and many more. You will be studying in a UNESCO City of Literature and benefit from relationships with cultural institutions from the local to the global.
3. Educational Aims of the Programme
4. Programme Structure
5. Programme Modules
Core programme: 3-year, 3-stage, 360-credit BA (Hons).
Stage 1
Stage 1: 30 credits of compulsory modules, 90 credits of optional module
30 credits of a language from across LCVS (including the Language Centre) and IAIS can be taken as modularity, subject to pre-requisites.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SML1003 | Comparative Literature and Cultures: Theories and Approaches | 15 | Yes |
| SML1004 | Reading Comparatively | 15 | Yes |
Optional Modules
90 credits of optional modules from a selection from Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, Classics, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and Humanities. These modules are subject to change each year due to availability. Examples from 23/24 include the below. Other literature and culture modules from across the Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies can be taken subject to pre-requisites.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA Comparative Literature and Cultures - Stage 1 | |||
| SML1207 | Introduction to Film | 15 | No |
| MLG1021 | Outside In: An Introduction to Outcasts and Outsiders in German-language Literature and Film | 15 | No |
| ARA1021 | Introduction to Persian History and Culture | 15 | No |
| CLA1410 | Text and Context: Writing Women in Ancient Literature | 15 | No |
| AHV1005 | Inside the Museum | 15 | No |
| HUM1005 | Climate Emergency - An Introduction to Environmental Humanities | 15 | No |
| HUM1001 | Enter the Matrix: Digital Perspectives on the Humanities | 15 | No |
| MLR1006 | An Emotional Experience: Russian Literature and the Expression of Feeling | 15 | No |
| SML1018 | The Devil Is in the Detail: An Introduction to the Short Story in French | 15 | No |
| MLS1064 | An Introduction to the Hispanic World: Texts in Context | 15 | No |
Stage 2
Stage 2: 30–45credits of compulsory modules, 75–90 credits of optional modules
Alongside the compulsory SML2001 Migrating Texts, students should choose one of HUM2001, HAS2004 or SML2003.
30 credits of a language from across LCVS, Classics and IAIS can be taken as modularity, subject to pre-requisites.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SML2001 | Migrating Texts: Classical Reception, Adaptation, Translation | 15 | Yes |
| HUM2001 | Humanities in the Workplace | 15 | Yes |
| HAS2004 | Making a Career in Publishing | 30 | Yes |
| SML2003 | Research Skills in Languages and Cultures | 15 | Yes |
Optional Modules
75–90 credits of optional modules from a selection from Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, Classics, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, English and Humanities. These modules are subject to change each year due to availability. Examples from 23/24 include the below. Other literature and culture modules from across the Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies can be taken subject to pre-requisites.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA Comparative Literature and Cultures - Stage 2 | |||
| MLF2005 | Classical myth in French and francophone cinema | 15 | No |
| MLM2003 | Chinoiserie and Europeenerie: Artistic and cultural exchanges between China and Europe | 15 | No |
| SML2002 | Cultural Connections in Southern Africa: Literature and Film | 15 | No |
| SML2004 | Contemporary Latin American Cinema | 15 | No |
| HUM2005 | Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence | 15 | No |
| AHV2018 | Comics Studies: Histories, Methodologies, Genres | 30 | No |
| ARA2001 | From Holy Text to Sex Manuals in the Medieval Middle East | 15 | No |
| CLA2005 | Greek and Roman Narrative | 30 | No |
| EAS2113 | Culture, Crisis and Ecology in a Postcolonial World | 30 | No |
| MLG2019 | Gender, Race and Migration in 20th and 21st-century German Literature | 15 | No |
Stage 3
Stage 3 or Stage 4 if taking a placement: 30 credits of compulsory dissertation, 90 credits of optional modules
90 credits of optional modules from a selection from Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, Classics, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, English and Humanities. These modules are subject to change each year due to availability. Examples from 23/24 include the below. From English, you can take EAS3195 or up to 30 credits of other selected English modules. Other literature and culture modules from across the Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies can be taken subject to pre-requisites.
30 credits of a language from across LCVS, Classics and IAIS can be taken as modularity, subject to pre-requisites.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 | Yes |
Optional Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA Comparative Literature and Cultures - Final Stage | |||
| SML3040 | Women in Translation: Gender and Publishing in the 21st Century | 15 | No |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 | No |
| MLM3008 | Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature | 15 | No |
| MLR3026 | The Deceptive City: The Creation of St Petersburg in Russian Literature | 15 | No |
| MLP3009 | Afro-Brazil: Transatlantic Identities in Culture | 15 | No |
| MLI3199 | Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend | 15 | No |
| HUM3002 | Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature | 15 | No |
| AHV3007 | Global Modernisms | 15 | No |
| EAS3421 | Picturing the Global City: Literature and Visual Culture in the 21st Century | 30 | No |
| HUM3016 | Book Publishing: Principles of Book Commissioning, Editing and Design | 30 | No |
| HUM3004 | Transforming the Tablet: Digital Approaches to Ancient Text and Artefact | 15 | No |
| HAS3006 | The Legend of King Arthur | 30 | No |
| EAS3419 | Writing South Asia | 30 | No |
| EAS3195 | Acts of Writing: From Decolonisation to Globalisation | 30 | No |
| EAS3505 | Story as Foundation Stone - God, Facebook and Mushrooms | 30 | No |
| CLA3125 | Reading and Writing Greek Literature in the Hellenistic World | 30 | No |
| CLA3275 | Women Writing Classics | 15 | No |
| ARA3197 | The Arabian Nights: Perception and Reception | 15 | No |
6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
7. Programme Regulations
Classification
8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning
9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning
10. Admissions Criteria
11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards
12. Indicators of Quality and Standards
The programme is not subject to accreditation and/ or review by professional and statutory regulatory bodies (PSRBs).
13. Methods for Evaluating and Improving Quality and Standards
14. Awarding Institution
15. Lead College / Teaching Institution
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)
16. Partner College / Institution
Partner College(s)
Not applicable to this programme
Partner Institution
Not applicable to this programme.
17. Programme Accredited / Validated by
Not applicable to this programme.
18. Final Award
BA (Hons) Comparative Literatures and Cultures
19. UCAS Code
Not applicable to this programme.
20. NQF Level of Final Award
6 (Honours)
21. Credit
| CATS credits | ECTS credits |
|---|
22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
23. Dates
| Origin Date | Date of last revision |
|---|
